Brazil's transport infrastructure department DNIT expects to complete designs for a 30km beltway surrounding Pernambuco state capital Recife by May this year, the authority said in a release.

Part of efforts to improve the city's urban mobility for the 2014 World Cup, the project involves modifying federal highway BR-101, state governor Eduardo Campos said while presenting a draft of the project to DNIT director Luiz Antonio Pagot.

The beltway will include exclusive lanes where bus rapid transit (BRT) systems will operate.

Once the design is completed, the state government will submit it to DNIT for analysis by its planning and research department.

The beltway, along with other transport improvements in the city, could cost up to 300mn reais (US$180mn), BNamericas reported previously.